Educational Media Reviews Online

Although Tunisia is free of its dictator, individual freedom is in retreat before a resurgence of Islamism. But some Tunisians, Nadia El Fani among them, are vigorously protesting the increasing social pressure to conform to Muslim sensibilities. This documentary shows the loss of freedom, not in a legal sense, but in a practical sense. The footage shown from 1968 shows a time when sermons were not broadcast from mosques and people could eat and drink freely, wearing whatever clothes they pleased, and in mixed company. Most of the film shows a more restrictive culture gaining strength.

This documentary is educational in that it shows the current state of freedom in Tunisia from the inside. Although El Fani pins down waiters and shopkeepers on their reluctance to serve food or sell alcohol during Ramadan, those discussions don’t yield much. One looks for a way forward—a case for freedom articulated in a way that might make headway with the other side, or even a discussion of the rights and limitations of the majority vs. the individual. There’s nothing wrong with a simple manifesto in favor of individual freedom, but as one who wants El Fani to succeed in preserving a secular Tunisia, I was haunted throughout by the question “what is here that would make her Muslim opponents listen to her?” The film would also have been a better educational resource if it engaged the ideas involved.

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